Is this a common occurrence in TLOU2?
Solution 1:
You play roughly half of the game as a different character. The two characters have different weapons and play in a bit of a different way, though the gameplay is very similar in general. The details are a bit of a story spoiler:
The first half of the game you play as Ellie, and the second half of the game you play as Abby. There is also a kind of epilogue where you play as Ellie again.